What’s on your doorstep? Help people find local support

The International Day of Older Persons takes place on 1 October each year, celebrating older people and promoting communities in which everyone can live and age well. 

As 1 October is also Lincolnshire Day, organisations across the county are encouraged to mark the occasion throughout the week of 28 September to 2 October 2026. 

This year’s theme, ‘What’s on your doorstep?’, celebrates the people, places, activities and services that help us stay active, connected and involved in our communities. Organisations could bring the theme into an existing activity, organise a one-off event or simply use the week to raise awareness of the support already available locally. Find out more about International Day of Older People 2026. 

But this is also an important reminder: local support can only reach people if they—and the people supporting them—know it is there. 

Across Lincolnshire, VCFSE organisations provide activities, services and trusted community spaces that can improve people’s health and wellbeing. Making sure this information is shared with local GP practices, Primary Care Networks, social prescribers, district teams and neighbouring community organisations can help more people find the right support, closer to home. 

Help make local support more visible 

There are several ways LVET members can get involved: 

• Share your plans locally. Let your local GP practices, PCNs, social prescribers and other community organisations know what you are doing during the week. 

• Check your directory listings. Make sure your organisation, services and activities are listed—and that the information is current—on Connect to Support Lincolnshire and, where relevant, H.A.Y. Lincolnshire. 

• Contribute to the dedicated Connect to Support page. Share details of local services, useful resources and community support that older people, families and professionals may not already know about. 

• Use the LVET Noticeboard. Add your events, activities, resources and opportunities to the LVET collaborative noticeboard so other VCFSE organisations can see what is happening, share it with their communities and identify opportunities to work together. 

This isn’t only about promoting individual activities. It is about creating stronger connections between community organisations and the health and care system, reducing duplication and making it easier for people to access support within their own neighbourhoods. 

The aim is simple: to make sure people know not only what is on their doorstep, but also how to find the right door.